National Lead Company
By the early 1960's, National Lead was already a well-established research company in the Northeast. In 1961 it was decided that the company will move its research headquarters out of Brooklyn NY and into the suburbs of NJ. Ground broke on a parcel of land that bordered the east side of the NJ Turnpike in East Windsor. East Windsor was growing into a huge "home-base" for many research companies due to its accessibility off exit 8 of the turnpike and its proximity to Princeton and Rutgers Universities. By 1962, the building was ready to be moved into and the company moved in that July. The labs were designed as single-story buildings that featured double loaded corridors which made rearranging easy if needed. The building was deemed as an "H" plan. The H plan was common in research facilities at the time as it was thought the design was more conclusive to the collaboration between staff. The buildings contained outdoor courtyards and an employee cafeteria to give their workers relaxing options to enjoy their breaks. In 1936, the company decided to move their titanium products division to East Windsor as well. This called for the construction of another research building on site.
As time grew on, the effects of using lead as a base ingredient for paint became apparently unsafe. This information became widespread among the public. The use of this ingredient in the paint was prohibited in 1971 for internal use and then in 1978 for external use. Lead used in gasoline was also prohibited for further use in 1974. National Lead changed its name to NL Industries in an attempt to have the public no longer associate their company with lead products. It then attempted to begin to focus more on the oil industry. Their efforts were all in vain as the facility closed down in 1980. The titanium division was sold but the labs were left to rot. By 2016, the property was demolished and one could no longer see the water tower from the NJ Turnpike.
Read MoreAs time grew on, the effects of using lead as a base ingredient for paint became apparently unsafe. This information became widespread among the public. The use of this ingredient in the paint was prohibited in 1971 for internal use and then in 1978 for external use. Lead used in gasoline was also prohibited for further use in 1974. National Lead changed its name to NL Industries in an attempt to have the public no longer associate their company with lead products. It then attempted to begin to focus more on the oil industry. Their efforts were all in vain as the facility closed down in 1980. The titanium division was sold but the labs were left to rot. By 2016, the property was demolished and one could no longer see the water tower from the NJ Turnpike.
